Controlling mechanism for sheet-feeding machines.



B. GUSTAFSON. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SHEET FEEDING MACHINES.

9 APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. 1908.

' Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

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B. GUSTAFSON. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR SBTEET FEEDING MAGHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1I 1908.

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BERNHARD GUSTAFSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GONT-RQLLING IVEECHANISM FOR SHEET-FEEDING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1909.

Application filed July 1, 1908, Serial No. 441,268.

at Boston, in thecounty of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Controlling Mechanism for Sheet- Feeding Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to mechanism designed to control automatically -a machine for acting upon sheets in such a manner that the machine may be stopped or thrown out of operation whenever a sheet is not fed to it in the proper position, or whenever a torn or imperfect sheet is fed into position.-

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and reliable mechanism to be used in connection with machines for acting upon sheets, and in particular to be used in connection with printing presses to which sheets are fed automatically by a suitable form of sheet feeding mechanism.

The invention will more fully appear from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, and are confined to those parts which are necessary to disclose the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of mechanism shown in connection with the cylinder of a rotary printing press; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail to be described. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the detector finger and hook shown disconnected.

It is very important in connection with machines for acting upon sheets of paper, such for example as the printing press, if each sheet is not fed into exactly the proper position to be seized and carried through the machine in the precise manner re uired, or if any sheet is fed into the require position in a torn or mutilated condition, that the machine shall be stopped or thrown out of position before the sheet passes through it to be acted upon by it. The present invention secures the stopping or throwing out of operation of the machinem 'a simple and eiiicientmanner, upon the occurrence of such an event.

It will be obvious that the invention is not concerned with the partlcular form of 1 machine for acting upon the sheets, nor With f ,any" particular form of stopping mechanism or throwing out mechanism, nor even with anism, because any or all of these may be varied and may be of dilferent types. The mechanism of the present invention is a controlling mechanism, and has to do only with the controlling of a stopping or throwing out mechanism, and is governed by the presence or absence of the sheet in proper position, or by the presence of a mutilated or tom sheet.

The mechanism in which the invention is preferably embodied is controlled by one-or more finger detectors arranged above the path of the sheet. When the sheet is prop- .erly positioned this detector rests against the upper surface of the sheetand holds the throwing out mechanism inactive. When,

or when a torn or mutilated sheet is presented in position, there will be nothing to hold the detector up and it will accordingly drop below its normal position, and this-action results in rendering the throwing out mechanism active. -The mechanism also inoscillating arm which is connected with or arranged in any suitable manner to have a movement in time with the machine for est ing upon the sheets. The movement of this movable element is utilizedfto render active the throwing out mechanism when the detector has its downward movement due to causes already noted. The mechanism of this invention is also provided with means whereby the detector finger may be adjusted to have its feeling or detecting end at any required position without disturbing in any way the accuracy of the action of the mechanism as a whole.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated herein the impression cylinder of a printing press has been represented at A,

I and is shown as provided with a usual form of front gages A The sheets may be fed into position against the front gages A by any suitable form of feeding mechanism which is driven by suitable connections and in time with the press so that both the feed ing mechanism andthe press may be stopped or thrown out of operation at the same time upon the action of the controlling mechanlSm;

The forward end of the frame B only of the particular form of sheet feeding mech-- however, the sheet is improperly positioned,

volves a movable element herein shown as an suitable sheet feeding mechanism is illus; trated. This frame is shown as supporting a common form of supporting sticks B forward end 0 with a bell-crank lever (3 pivotally mounted at C on a Stud 0 projecting from the frame A hollow shaft D is ourna1ed in bearings B, B of the frame B, and has mounted upon its end portion beyond the bearing B a collar D", held in place by a set-screw D ,and provided with an outer cam face D*. A lever arnoE is mounted on thehollow shaft D and provided on its face with a cam-shaped surface E complemental to the cam surface D on the col ar D The lever arm E is connected by means of a rod or link E with any suitable operating means, not shown, in such a manner as to 'cause the oscillation of the lever E in time. with the printing press. A rod F extends through the hollow. shaft D and carries at one end a grooved collar F which receives the forked arm C of the bell crank lever 0 A spring F is interposed between the collar F and the frame B, so

that the rod F is normally thrown to move the collar away from the frame and the connections are so arrangedas when in this position to maintain the throwing out mech-' anism inactive. In order to render the throwing out mechanism active, therefore, it is only necessary to move the rod F in the opposite direction. The rod F extends throu h to the opposite end of the hollow shaftd) and is provided with a nut F and washer F 5 contacting with the outer surface of the lever arm E, so that when the throwing out mechanism is in inactive position the spring F will act through the parts described to maintain the cam'surfaces E and D in contact with the surfaces in complemental position as illustrated in F i g. 2.

. Any desired number of detecting fingers may be employed to detect at suitable intervals. the position of the forward edge of the sheet. These detecting fingers and the -mechan ism oscillated therewith is the same for each and hence but one is illustrated and will be described. A guide tongue 13 extends beneathihe path of the and is 'slotted at its forward end, as shownat B".

i The detector finger H is shown as a long slender device turned downwardly at its forward or detecting end H and arranged so that the detecting end .H is directly over this slot B". A shaft K is mounted in the frame B and extends transversely thereof and is provided with a'depending arm K splined thereto at IQ. The detecting finger H is mounted in a stud H journaled in the lower end of the lever arm K so that the detecting finger is pivotally mounted therein. exact adjustment of the feeling end of the detecting finger H, the detecting finger is made adjustable in the stud H In the form shown this is secured by splining the detecting finger H, as indicated at H", in the stud H by forming the end of the stud H in the shape of a fork and providing a nut H between the prongs of the fork screw-threaded to the detecting finger. A lock nut H screws ,on to the end of the detecting finger. It will thus be seen that unlocking the nut H and rotating the nut H the detecting finger may be moved longitudinally and then looked in position by screwing up the locking nut H The stud H also carries the catch arm M, held fast thereon by the nut M and hence it will be seen that-the catch arm M will swing with In order to allow of the precise and the detecting finger H. The catch arm M A is provided at its forward end with an inshaft D it swings beneath the inclined surface M? and raises the catch arm M and consequently the detecting finger H. The

parts are so adjusted that when the sheet of paper is upon the guide tongue B and the feeling end H of the finger H rests thereupon the recess M of the catch arm M will be out of engagement with the hook G but when the sheet is absent or is so torn or mutilated as to allow the end H of the finger H to drop into the slot B then the recess M will engage with the hook G The operationof the mechanism is as follows. The spring F 3 holding the cam surfaces E and D in contact, the shaft D is oscillated by means of the connection E with the lever "arm E in time with the printingand sheet feeding mechanisms, and at each oscillation the hook G riding on the cam surface of the arin M acts to raise and lower the .detecting finger H. As the sheet is fed forward against the press gages the oscillations of the parts are so timed that the detecting finger comes down. If the sheet is present it will act 'fio'support the detecting finger H and prevent the en ment of the recess M with the hook G If the sheet is absent from its proper position or if it is torn OrmutiIatedrthereat the detecting finger drops into the slot '13, and there is nothing to prevent the recess M of the catch arm M from droppingdown on to the hook G This it accordingly does and as the arm E is oscillated the arm M restrains the hook G from oscillating. he shaft D is consequently restrained from oscillat' and therefore the collar D remains xed in position so that with the continned oscillation of the cam E the cam surfaces E and D act to move the arm E downwardly or away from the frame B against the tension ofthe spring F The rod F is connected with the" arm E and it accordingly moves longitudinally, and in turn moves the bell crank lever G and'the connection C to the throwing out mechanism, thus immediately rendering the latter active and effecting the throwing out of, operation the printing and sheet feeding mechanisms.

The position of the detecting fingers may be adjusted laterally as desired and for that reason the arms G and K are shown as secured to their respective shaft-s by splines and by clamping screws G, K, respectively. The adjustment already described of the detecting finger H with respect to its pivotal point enables the feeling end H to be positioned with great nicety and without affecting in any way, the adjustment or operation of the controlling mechanism.'

The lock-nut H is preferably made of a suflicient weight to nearly counterbalance the detecting finger and catch at the other side of the pivot, so that the parts are extremely delicate in their operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is: i

1. Controlling mechanism for sheet feeding machines comprising a detecting finger, a stationaryslotted guide, means for moving said detecting finger toward and from the slot of said guide to feel for and detectthe presence or absence of a sheet, a'member moving intime with the delivery of the sheet, a second member in frictional engagement with and normall 'moving with said member, means rendere operative by the downward movement of the detecting finger into the slot of said guide upon the absence of the sheet for restraining the movement of said second member, and connections between said moving member and the throwing-out mechanism whereby the latter is actuated upon the restraining of the second member.

2. Controlling mechanism for sheet feeding machines comprising a detecting finger to feel for and detect the presence or absence of a sheet at the desired position, a member moving in time with the delivery of the sheet and capable of a transverse additional movement, a second member in frictional engagement with and normally moving with said first member, means rendered operative by the detecting finger upon the absence of the sheet for restraining the movement of said second member and causing a transverse movement of said moving member, and connections between said movsheet, a shaft, the said shaft and lever arm being provided with complemental cam surfaces, means for holding the said surfaces normally in frictional engagement, a second lever arm mounted on sa id shaft 'means rendered operative by the detecting finger upon the absence of the sheet for restraining the movement of said second lever arm, whereby theshaft is restrained from movement and the complemental cam surfaces act to shift the first lever arm, and connections between said first lever arm and the throwing out mechanism whereby the latter is actuated upon such shifting movement.

4. Controlling mechanism for sheet feeding machines comprising a detecting finger pivoted above the path of the sheet and provided witha feehng point to feel for and detect the presence or absence of the sheet at the desired point, a catch arm connected to and movable with the detecting finger, a hollow shaft, and means for oscillating it normally in time with the delivery of the sheet, a lever arm mounted on said shaft and adaptedto engage the catch arm upon the movement thereof resulting from the absence of the sheet beneath the detecting finger, av rod extending through said. hollow shaft and connected to the throw-out mechanism; andmeans actuated by or through enga ement of the lever. arm with the catch arm or causing a longitudinal-movement of said rod to actuate the throwing out mech anism. 1 y

5. Controlling mechanism for sheet feeding machines comprising a detecting finger to feel for and detect the presence or absence of the sheet at the desired position, a member moving in time with the delivery 'of the sheet and capable of a transverse additional movement, means controlled by or 'through said detecting finger upon the abdetection shall take place without affecting the timing or operation of the other parts of the mechanism.

6. Controlling mechanism for sheet feed ing machines eomprisin a frame, two parallel shafts, one fiied an the other movable, mounted therein transversely of the path of movement of the sheets, an arm mounted on and longitudinally adjustable of said fixed shaft, a detecting finger pivotally, mounted on said arm an provided with a feeling point to feel for and detect the presence or absence of the sheet at the desired point, a catch arm provided with a camface and a notch and connected to and movable with said detecting finger, a lever arm mounted on and longitudinally adjustable of said movable shaft a-ndhaving an end cooperating with the cam face and notch of the catch arm, means for oscillating the movable shaft normally in time with the delivery of the sheet, each oscillation by the engagement of the lever end and cam face of the catch arm raising and lowering the detecting finger, means actuated by or through the engagement of the lever end with the catch arm resultin from the absence of the sheet at the detecting point for causing the actuation of the throwing out mechanism.

7. Controlling mechanism for sheet feeding machines comprising a stud pivoted above the path of the sheet, a detecting finer provided with a feeling point to feel or and detect the presence or absence of the sheet at the desired point mounted on said stud, means for adjustin the said detecting finger transversely of said stud, said means fiorming a counterbalance for the detecting n er.

fn testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNHARD GUSTAFSON.

Witnesses:

MABEL PARTELOW, FREDERICK S. GREENLEAF. 

